Documents - prescribed forms and templates

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This section outlines general requirements for all forms filed in the High Court.

General requirements

All documents filed in the High Court should include (if known):

  • the name and place of the court where your criminal proceeding will be heard;
  • the CRI and CRN;
  • the names of the prosecutor and yourself, as the person conducting the defendant’s case;
  • the section of the relevant legislation to which the document relates; and
  • your address for service and your current contact details.

You will be required to file your documents with a registry of the High Court and will also need to serve these documents on the other parties to the proceeding. Important information about where to file your documents  and how to serve your documents can be found on the Ministry’s website.

You will generally need to make a number of copies of each document you file with the court:

  • one copy is filed with the court;
  • one copy is served on each of the respondent/s; and
  • one copy should be kept for yourself.

All documents that you file or serve must also be authenticated by you to indicate that you are responsible for the document’s content. You can authenticate a document by signing and dating the document, or filling out the appropriate online form.

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Prescribed forms and templates

Many documents filed in the High Court must be set out in a certain way (a ‘prescribed form’). These include:

Notice of application

A Notice of Application is used when you would like to ask the court to make an order in relation to an aspect of your criminal proceeding. For example, allowing your witness to give their evidence in an alternative way, or suppressing your name.

If you need to make an application in writing, you should complete the Notice of Application form.

Template: Notice of Application form [PDF, 857 KB]

Notice of appeal

A notice of appeal tells the court and the prosecutor that you want to appeal a decision.

A notice of appeal should contain:

  • the name and description of the appellant (you, if you are bringing the appeal);
  • particulars of the decision that is being appealed, including the date and place at which it was made;
  • a copy of the decision you are appealing against;
  • the grounds on which you are appealing (in enough detail that the court and other parties can understand what you claim was wrong with the original decision); and
  • the section of the Act that is being relied upon to bring the appeal.

The section of the Criminal Procedure Act(external link)

You should also include information about:

  • your legal aid status (when you are representing yourself, you are not legally aided); and
  • the prison at which you are located, if you are imprisoned.

Template: Notice of Appeal [PDF, 322 KB]

Notice of application for leave to appeal

A notice of application for leave to appeal tells the court and the prosecutor that you want to appeal a decision, and are asking the court for permission to do so.

A notice of application for leave to appeal should contain:

  • the name and description of the appellant (you, if you are bringing the appeal);
  • particulars of the decision that is being appealed, including the date and place at which it was made;
  • a copy of the decision you are appealing against;
  • the grounds on which you are appealing (in enough detail that the court and other parties can understand what you claim was wrong with the original decision); and
  • the section of the Act that is being relied upon to bring the appeal.

The section of the Criminal Procedure Act(external link)

You should also include information about:

  • your legal aid status (when you are representing yourself, you are not legally aided); and
  • the prison at which you are located, if you are imprisoned.

Template: Notice of Application for Leave to Appeal [DOC, 292 KB]

Notice of Intention to Speak Māori

A Notice of Intention to Speak Māori tells the court and the prosecutor that you wish to speak Māori throughout your criminal proceeding.

If you would like to speak Māori during your case, you must complete a Notice of Intention to Speak Māori and file this with the Court. You should do this as soon as possible and not later than 10 working days before the scheduled hearing.

Template: Notice of Intention to Speak Māori [PDF, 233 KB]

Request for an Interpreter

If English is not your first language, you may require an interpreter. You need to inform the Court of this requirement as soon as possible. You can do this by completing, and filing with the Court, a Request for an Interpreter

Template: Request for an Interpreter [PDF, 161 KB]

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